Emily Chaplin felt like she could ‘suddenly breathe easier’ after stumbling upon a gorgeous, and free, park, after following her curiosity down a mysterious alleyway
Wandering down a small, unknown alleyway might not sound like a smart idea, but this time, it just might be worth it.
Alleyways don’t always have to be dark and dingy, especially if it’s decorated with some of the most stunning street art you might have ever seen. Emily Chaplin was exploring a local farmer’s market when a narrow passage caught her eye.
She didn’t notice it at first, particularly because the sub-conscious part of her brain was assuming it just led to a bin store at the back. But as she started to observe several people veering off the high street and disappearing, her curiosity got the better of her.
The Birmingham Live reporter realised the alleyway, which is located in Birmingham, between a Dixons estate agent’s and a community centre near Moseley Farmer’s Market, must leave somewhere. So after making a total mess of her epic hot chocolate, she decided to look. You can read what happened next below.
I’d just squashed the urge to have a quick look, deciding that following strangers down an alleyway was never a good thing to do, when I spotted a metal sign above that read ‘Moseley Park & Pool’. Aha!
I knew the place was around here somewhere – a private park that requires a £60-a-year key to get in – but I’d never seen the entrance. I must have walked past it a dozen times before without realising. Curiosity got the best of me and I turned off the main Alcester Road, away from the busy market stalls, determined to get a closer look.
At the bottom, an iron fence separated the alley from the park, but the gate was wide open. A sign confirmed that today was an open day – the park opens to the public every month during the farmers’ market – so I zipped inside to explore.
Tall trees sheltered the main dirt track from the rain, while smaller paths led off into the woodland and around the back of a small wooden yoga hut which a sign told me was serving ‘coffee on the deck’. Grassy patches were dotted with bluebells and birds were singing loudly overhead. It was beautiful and so peaceful here – hard to believe the busy high street was just a few metres away.
I’d just passed a group playing on the tennis courts to my left when the path suddenly opened up to reveal a huge green space, with rolling hills leading down to a large pool with an island at its centre. The park was surprisingly big – 11 acres to be precise.
There were benches scattered around, a swing for kids to play on and a wicker rabbit statue atop a leafy hill. I pictured how lovely it would be to bring a picnic here in the summer. I walked past a basket containing a few tennis balls and sticks, inviting dog walkers to ‘take one, leave one’ – an example of the community feel that was so evident here.
I stopped for a moment to watch the ducks and geese gliding across the lake, then followed the path round to the right, past the angling hut, onto another grassy hill with benches at the top and under an arch of tangled branches and leaves.
Nature was thriving here, but the park was obviously well looked after. In fact, I didn’t see a single bit of rubbish on the floor, which sadly can’t be said for some of Birmingham’s other green spaces.
I felt like I could suddenly breathe easier, as is often the case, I find, after spending time somewhere pretty outdoors. After a full lap, I made for the exit into the alleyway and was back in the real world within a hop, skip and a jump.
Staring up at the bars and shops along the high street, it seemed almost impossible that this huge urban oasis sat just behind them. It’s so close to the main road and just two miles away from Birmingham city centre, and yet I’d only seen a handful of people on my loop of Moseley Park.
If I didn’t know the place was open, I bet many others didn’t either. It’s probably one of Birmingham’s best hidden gems, but I’ve never been any good at keeping secrets.
Moseley Park and Pool opens its gates from 10am to 4pm every Wednesday and on the last Saturday of the month during the farmers’ market.
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